Davis, Ephraim, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1705 by Ephraim Davis for his bride, this 2 1/2-story house with a rear lean-to sits on a hill above Merrimack Road in Haverhill. The right-hand room, chamber and chimney bay form the original part, and the left-hand rooms were added by the mid-18th century. Davis family members lived there until about 1880, and the house has been unoccupied since 1929. It later served as a chicken coop and is now a garage, with large garage doors cut into the front. Most exterior walls and the roof are 20th-century material, and much interior finish has been removed. The house was listed for its original oak frame, which is precisely chamfered, with lamb's tongue stops and pips on the summer beam, girts and chimney posts. Some framing was boxed in soon after construction, so its detail survives nearly pristine. The left-hand addition has Second Period raised-field paneling and a chimney with beehive ovens.
Significance in brief: The house keeps an exceptionally well-crafted First Period oak frame, decorated with beveled chamfers, lamb's tongue stops and pips. The nomination argues the frame embodies distinctive characteristics of design and construction and retains integrity of location, design, material and workmanship, making it eligible under Criterion C.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 90000228, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Merrimack Rd., N of jct. with Amesbury Line Rd., Haverhill |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000228 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Ephraim Davis (builder); architect unknown |
| Architectural style | First Period |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Deteriorated; unoccupied since 1929, formerly used as a chicken coop and now used as a garage/storage, with large garage doors cut into the facade. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.81271, -71.00857 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 90000228.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5382258
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.